Sonic Arboretum is an immersive installation that reflects on sound’s interaction with the natural world. A collection of 36 horned speakers, made from compressed recycled newsprint and dryer lint, created by sculptor and instrument-maker Ian Schneller are installed to create a unique sound garden. The colorful speakers, ranging in different size and powered by custom-made tube amplifiers, are arranged into a symphonic field which play an original, 50-minute composition created by composer/violinist Andrew Bird, “Echolocations,” which he recorded by whistling and playing his violin in a canyon to experiment with the site’s reverberations. The title refers to the biological sonar that animals like bats and whales use to get to know a space that they cannot otherwise perceive.
